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Nikhil Gupta devout Hindu, forced to eat beef: What family told Supreme Court
Nikhil Gupta is a Delhi-based businessman, his family said in a petition filed against his arrest in theCzech Republic in a murder bid of Gurpatwant Pannun.
Nikhil Gupta, the Indian arrested by the Czech authorities on the behest of the US for plotting to kill US-based Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, approached the Supreme Court of India through a family member against his arrest. In the petition, it has been claimed that Nikhil Gupta is a Delhi-based businessman and he was not being allowed to contact his family members in Delhi. The arrest violated his fundamental rights, the petition to the top court said.
A Delhi businessman, no arrest warrant, forced to eat pork, beef: What the petition said
“From the outset, the petitioner contends that the circumstances surrounding his arrest were marked by irregularities, with no formal arrest warrant presented, and the apprehension executed by self-claimed US agents rather than local Czech authorities.”
“Nikhil Gupta has been kept in solitary confinement for over 100 days.”
“The petitioner was not shown any arrest warrant during the initial detention. Instead, he found himself in the custody of individuals purporting to represent US interests.”
“The petitioner a devout Hindu and vegetarian, claims that he was subjected to forced consumption of beef and pork during his detention in Czech custody, a direct violation of his religions beliefs.”
“The petitioner alleges that he was denied consular access, the right to contact his family in India, and the freedom to seek legal representation.”
“Nikhil Gupta is a law-abiding and peaceful citizen of the Republic of India, who resides in New Delhi, India, along with my family consisting of his mother, wife and two major children.”
“The petitioner is currently in detention/custody at Prague and is facing extradition to the United States. That the recent leaks of confidential information regarding the petitioner's case at New York, US and the irresponsible reporting on the same has put an imminent threat to the life and well-being of the petitioner in Czech Republic and to his family at Delhi, India.”
“There have been numerous procedural violations threatening the fundamental rights and even the most basic human rights of the petitioner.”
“The petitioner is a middle-class businessman who runs a consultancy dealing with excavation and import-export.”
In November, the US Justice Department disclosed the name of Nikhil Gupta as he was charged for his "participation in a foiled plot to assassinate a US citizen of Indian origin in New York".
Who is Nikhil Gupta?
The US document identified Nikhil Gupta as the man who was in touch with an Indian government employee on the assassination plot. The document said Gupta was involved in international narcotics and weapons trafficking. Gupta hired a hitman for the job, but the hitman was an undercover cop, the document claimed. And thus, the assassination plot was foiled. Nikhil Gupta operated from India and as he arrived in the Czech, he was arrested, the document said.
